The incumbent, Rob Portman, accepted a position in the Bush administration as National Trade Representative.
Portman was a seven-term Congressman who won with a 72% majority in '04. Yes, it should have been a higher Republican percentage, but these seem to have been the mitigating factors:
1. Schmidt was a State Rep, little known outside her home base (Clermont County).
2. Hackett, the Dem challenger, was a Marine who had seen duty in Iraq and he was very well-funded. His commercials never identified him by party, and he related himself to the President, the military and Iraq.
3. Turnout was pitifully low...but there were several school levies on the ballot in key districts. This was probably a major factor, in that it insured high turnout by the teacher's union.
In other words, a little-known Republican defeated a well-funded Democrat who ran as a Republican.
i don't think he saw armed duty but was in a noncombatant role, Rush has it on his site ... i wonder if it was planned ? ... to be in iraq and then run as a veteran with deceitful ads to try to break the W juggernaut
" In other words, a little-known Republican defeated a well-funded Democrat who ran as a Republican."
Game, set, match.
AND THE DEMOCRATS WANT TO CALL THIS A MORAL VICTORY???? WHAT A JOKE!!
Well summarized!
Concise, and a good assessment.
I am of two opinions about the Marine running as a conservative RAT. I would like to see the RAT party restored to some semblance of patriotism, but I am even more concerned that anyone wanting to BE a Rat from the military shows that we have some very confused people who are lurking in our military. I have known of extremely liberal Navy people for some time, all the way up through the Admirals ranks, but only a few who were Marines, almost none of them getting to be Generals.
How can you be a Marine and still be a political liberal? [ Big L ] That strikes me as fishy in the extreme...and "rotten to the Corps"....
Was Hackett another John F. Kerry type? Do we have to worry about him in the future here? Perhaps a run at Senate?
There a fourth factor at work: Bob Taft's unpopularity is toxic.